Donovan James STUDER

STUDER, GLAWE, KAJEWSKI, HATLELI, TUFTE

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 11/9/2014 at 16:51:30

February 27, 1928 --- November 5, 2014

Donovan James Studer was born February 27, 1928 in rural Corwith to Herman and Maude (Glawe) Studer. He was the second of six children (all boys). The family later moved to the homestead that his grandfather John Studer originally owned in rural Wesley. During his formative years, he played the saxophone and piano, and took tap and ballroom dancing lessons, which led to his lifelong interest in music and dancing. He graduated from Wesley High School in 1946. His love of farming, family and music, along with a quirky sense of humor (aka Donovan-isms) helped define who he was and what he enjoyed most in life. After graduation, he worked on the family farm before being drafted for the Korean War. Following his military service, he was an Active member of Wesley American Legion serving as post commander as well as a District Treasurer.

Donovan met his future wife, Madonna Mae Kajewski of Cylinder at the Plantation Ballroom near Whittemore at the Fat Tuesday dance. After a year-long courtship they were married on April 24, 1954 at St. Michael's Catholic Church in Whittemore. After they were married, Donovan's father, Herman partitioned off 120 acres of the original 240-acre Studer homestead in rural Wesley and sold it to Donovan and Madonna, where they would farm and raise their children.

He and Madonna were avid 500 card players, and his amazing memory allowed him to remember all the cards that had been played. Many nights were spent around the living room table with Donovan teaching the kids the strategies of 500 and how to bid. He knew all the cards that each of the kids had in their hands. He loved National Parks. He and Madonna packed the kids into the car, for classic all-American road trip to visit places like the Grand Canyon, Pikes Peak, Mount Rushmore, and Niagara Falls.

In September 1979, Madonna died unexpectedly. With three children still at home, Donovan was faced with raising them as a single parent. He was always there for his children, never missing a concert, game or ceremony.

Farming was Donovan's calling in life. Nothing brought him greater joy than sitting atop his favorite 1957 John Deere 520 and putting in a day's work. Like all family farms, children helped with the chores. To Donovan's credit he tried to make the mundane tasks - like picking up rocks and walking beans - more fun through lightening the mood with jokes and antics. When the kids weren't there to help, he added his dash of humor by declaring it FFA Day (Father Farms Alone).

Donovan was the farmer version of McGyver, long before McGyver ever existed. With a pliers, wire and a welder he could fix or make just about anything. In fact, in the early 70's, an article in the Algona newspaper featured some of Donovan's creative solutions to overcome multi-day power outages such as using his 1966 Plymouth Fury to power the milking machine or using a mini-bike motor to power the water well pump. When Donovan received the Century Farm Award for having a farm within the same family for 100 years at the 1983 Iowa State Fair, he was proud of his family heritage and the legacy for his children and grandchildren. They say you can take the boy off the farm, but you can't take the farm out of the boy. That was true of Donovan. He "semi-retired" in 1987 and moved to Algona, but Donovan continued to work on the farm five plus days a week. And as he aged and it was more difficult climb into a tractor or combine, he proudly devised a McGyver-style hydraulic lift to transport him up and down. It wasn't up until the last few years of Donovan's life where farming just proved too difficult for him. Those were sad days for him.

Parents should never outlive their children and Donovan experienced great heartache when he had to bury his two sons, Larry and Steven (an infant).

Music was also a big part of Donovan's life. He loved country music and dancing to sounds of the Big Band era. He would regularly travel to ballrooms from Clear Lake to Worthington to Granger to Lake View and halls in between to showcase his dance skills. In his final years, he enjoyed driving Roger's lime green 1970 Plymouth Sport Satellite in various local parades and enjoyed the attention from the crowd. He also won many slow tractor races with his John Deere 520.

Donovan's final resting place will be will be at St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery east of Wesley, just a stones throw from one of his farms, so he can keep an watchful eye on things and make sure the boys are keeping it weed free.

He is survived by five children, Mike of LuVerne, Roger of Algona, Sheila of Minneapolis, MN, Denise of Algona, and Kevin (Sharon) of Johnston; grandchildren, Troy, Jeremy, Joe, Grant, Eric, Nick, Liz, Callie, and Zoey, and one great-grandchild Eli. Four brothers, Leonard (Kaye) of Liberty, MO, Chuck (Maxine) of Britt, Merlin (Mary Jo) of Wesley, and Kerm (Judy) of Clear Lake, and two cousins who were like sisters to Donovan, Eunice (Duane) Hatleli of Albert Lea, MN, and Connie (Clayton) Tufte, Albert Lea, MN. He was preceded in death by his parents Herman and Maude, one brother, Eugene, his wife Madonna, two sons, Larry and Steven, and one grandchild, Hope.

http://www.oakcrestfuneralservices.com/obituary/129261/Donovan-Studer/